


Give Me The Girl I Knew

by WildChildALR



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Childhood Friends, F/M, Obidala, Protective Obi-Wan, a friend suggested it could be taken as that, but its slight, i'm not sure, illusions to emotional abuse, mild anakin bashing, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-05-02
Packaged: 2018-06-01 14:38:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6524239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WildChildALR/pseuds/WildChildALR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Modern AU;<br/>Obi-Wan gets a call late one night from long-time friend Padme. She claims it's to catch up since she hasn't been home in 2 years but she doesn't sound quite like herself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Give Me The Girl I Knew

I own nothing

* * *

Obi-Wan unlocked his front door and wearily stepped inside the modest two story house. Being sheriff of a small town had it's certain perks; like knowing everyone, a low crime rate if you didn't count the occasional rowdy group of bored high-school kids. But other times, like today, it was boring, monotonous even. Tossing his hat onto the peg by the door he made his way through the house flicking on the lights as he went.

Entering the kitchen he filled up the tea pot at the sink before setting it back on the stove. As the water heated he glanced at his mail, left on the table by Red, his Deputy who watered the few house plants he owned because Obi-Wan had killed too many due to neglect.

There was the typical junk, a bill, and a heavy papered envelope, postmarked Los Angeles. Realizing it was from Padme he quickly tore it open. Inside was an announcement, declaring the engagement of Padme Amidala Naberrie to Anakin Lucas Skywalker.

Tossing the paper onto the table he flopped into one of the chairs and glowered at it pensively while scratching at his beard. A clenching twist filled his chest rereading the lettering over and over but he told himself it was due to the fact he hadn't seen Padme in over two years and now that she was getting married she'd likely never come back home to their sleepy little town of Naboo. Absently staring at the announcement he let his mind wonder to the past;

_Obi-Wan had been an orphan in Scotland until he was adopted at 10 by Qui-Gon Jin, a London Detective. A year later Qui-Gon took a bullet to the chest taking down a serial killer known as Darth Maul. He survived, but at the prospect of being designated to desk duty Qui-Gon had retired from Scotland Yard and headed across The Pond. Having been in contact with an old mentor named Yoda Dagobah, Qui-Gon knew the little town his former Cheif retired to was looking for a new sheriff. Qui-Gon had won by a landslide thanks to Yoda's backing and his sterling service._

_It was in school that Obi-Wan met Padme. He was drawn to her cheerfulness and selfless nature, she enjoyed his dry humor and determination. For years they were inseparable, many figuring they would end up together. But Padme always had bigger dreams beyond Naboo, even if her father was the mayor. She wanted to save the world. Even as kids she would spearhead every donation collection, every relief organization. So after high-school she applied to Coruscant University to study Political Science with dreams of working at the U.N. While at school though she met Anakin. An up and coming genius he'd graduated early from high-school and was an engineering major at Coruscant. He had designed an inexpensive irrigation system that was set to be mass produced and given to struggling farmers in third world countries. Padme had attended a seminar where Anakin was a key speaker and the two had hit it off._

_At first Obi-Wan had liked Anakin. While could be stubborn and a little short tempered he was young, and more importantly he made Padme happy. But then she started coming home less and less, at first claiming she had to keep an eye on Anakin. He would stay locked in his workshop for days tinkering with an idea with little to no sleep. But then then he got a job at Galactic Empire Industries, a company that had formally made weapons but now under the new CEO, Sheev Palatine they manufactured relief kits for starving villages, prosthetic limbs for Doctors Without Borders, as well as supplies for countless other charitable venues. Anakin quickly became their star inventor and they paid him to move out to L.A. and he took Padme with him._

_Last Obi-Wan had heard she was teaching underprivileged children English at a community center when Anakin's busy travel and photo-op schedule permitted._

Hearing the tea pot whistle he got up and removed the kettle from the burner. He was just about to reach for the canister of tea bags when the phone rang. Wondering who could be calling so late he quickly answered.

Picking up the receiver he heard, "Obi-Wan?"

Crinkling his eyebrows he searched his memory for the owner of the voice. The sound was familiar, but it took him a moment, "Padme?!" He questioned.

"Hi, how are you?" She asked. "Hope I'm not calling too late. It's actually pretty early here."

He sat in stunned wonder a moment before answering, "No, no it's not too late. I was making a cup of tea actually."

"Earl Grey, two sugars and half a splash of milk." She remembered her voice a little lighter than it had been a moment ago.

"Exactly." He chuckled. Then he commented, "I'm sorry it took me a second to recognize you, when I first heard you speak I couldn't hear your accent anymore." Despite her insistence to the opposite, he found that many people in their town spoke with an accent. It wasn't quite a drawl but very different from his own burr.

Obi-Wan could almost here the smile fall from her face and mentally kicked himself. "I know it's been awhile since I've been home. But Anakin's schedule is so busy right now. The C3PO system that he created to help purify water is still leaving trace amounts of bacteria and the materials are still too expensive for most villages to afford so he's been tinkering with that... and with the engagement I've been nearly overwhelmed already with arrangements, place cards, you know those announcements took a week for us to decide on a text font?" She informed tiredly.

"I wasn't accusing." He assured her gently wishing he could pull her into his arms. It was moods like this when it really helped Padme to simply be held and listened to.

"I know." She replied. "You never do. Which is why you're the best. I was talking to my parents the other week and they reminded me the last time I was home was for Qui-Gon's funeral."

Obi-Wan sat back in the chair, his stomach clinching slightly. Qui-Gon had developed a cancer known as Small Cell carcinoma. He had been a heavy smoker for years, plus with patrolling buildings riddled with asbestos; it had left him with a stage 4 diagnosis before the cancer was even found. Obi-Wan had been given 3 months to say goodbye to the only father he'd ever known. The whole town had come out for the funeral, Padme had flown out but Anakin remained in L.A. working on this or that. For two days life had returned to what it had been, but Padme had gotten a call from Palpatine begging her to return because Anakin had locked himself in his lab and she was the only one who could pull him from his work to remember to bathe and eat.

"It has been awhile Padme. But so long as your happy. You are happy in L.A. right? " 

"Of course Obi-Wan." She replied a little too quickly. He could also hear the absence of a smile that was present when she talked about things she genuinely enjoyed. 

Shaking his head he turned the envelope over and out spilled a wallet sized photo of the couple. Anakin's hair was a little longer then it had been, but Padme's was shorter. Much shorter than he'd ever seen it. Concerned he questioned, "Is the photo you sent recent? "

"Yes, about two weeks, why?" 

"I've just never seen your hair that short. You always had the prettiest brown hair. You always loved it." He replied. As kids Padme had crafted hairstyles and accessories that on anyone else would have looked ridiculous. But on her, they had looked fashionable and elegant. 

"The length got to be too much to care for. And Anakin had complained a few times how loose strands would end up everywhere and how the drains would get clogged." 

Finally unable to stand it any longer he blurted, "Padme, that town, that job, that guy, you can leave it all behind if you want. You're better than that. You haven't said a thing about what you've wanted. It's all about Anakin. You can come back home whenever. Come back to the loudest sound being truck tires on a gravel road. Come back to those days where all we did was drive around blasting the radio in my truck laughing at the world blurring past, doing what we wanted when we wanted. What did he do? You gave up on your dreams for his. That don't sound like you."

There was silence on the other end and for a moment Obi-Wan wondered if she'd hung up on him, but then, "Who do you think you are Obi-Wan Kenobi?!" She yelled into the receiver. "Anakin and I are engaged! And who are you to tell me I've given up on my dreams? I don't think you've ever had any besides being sheriff of that stupid one-horse town." 

He was taken aback by her venom but she wasn't finished, "If you can't be happy for me maybe you shouldn't come to the wedding. Maybe we shouldn't even be friends anymore. Even Anakin has noticed how different you and I have become." 

"Padme." He tried to plead. 

"Goodbye Sheriff Kenobi." She quietly snipped hanging up the phone.

* * *

Obi-Wan felt like he hadn't slept in months. It had been two weeks since Padme had hung up on him but despite all his efforts to apologize, to explain his concerns, she continued to ignore him. 

"You look horrible Kenobi." 

"Thanks Judge." He replied with a mirthless grin looking at Mace Windu in the barber chair next to him. 

"You still bent up about Padme?" Mace questioned. 

"She hates me." Obi-Wan groaned rubbing his forehead. 

Chuckling the other man shot back, "She may hate finding out for herself that you we're right, but she couldn't ever hate you. She also might not be too happy that you took so long to tell her how you really feel." 

"How's that?!" Obi-Wan wan startled staring wide eyed. 

"You could no sooner deny you love her then you could stop being annoyingly self-sacrificing. You knew Padme had all these big dreams so you kept quiet so she'd have the courage to follow them."

Obi-Wan opened his mouth to argue, but no sound came out so he closed his jaw with a snap. Mace gave him a satisfied grin that bordered on condescending as he reopened his newspaper to continue reading. They sat in silence as Jar Jar babbled good-naturedly as he trimmed Obi-Wan's hair while Mace waited his turn. The sheriff pondered his feelings recalling how every good memory worth the reflection began or ended with Padme. Did he love her? Yes, he did. He had since he was 12. But he would never put his own hopes and dreams before her. He would never want his love to become like a weighted chain tethering her, strangling her. 

Finally sighing deeply he confessed, "You're right. I love Padme. But I know she could do so much better out there in the world, make such a difference. Plus she's engaged now. There's not much I can do at this point." 

"Obi-Wan Kenobi, since when do you give up so easily?! And it's an engagement, not marrige." A female voice cut through the male dominated space

Spinning in his chair Obi-Wan came face to face with Padme her hands on her hips as she stared him down. Her hair was adorned with a silver silk scarf headband and she wore a deep plum colored sundress with brown ankle boots. To him she had never looked more beautiful. 

"P-Padme?!" He sputtered, shocked at seeing her. 

Drawing her arms together and crossing them over her chest she cocked an eyebrow at him replying, "You know why I'm here? I'm here because after our phone call I made it a point to prove you wrong about Anakin. I analyzed every aspect of our relationship. And I figured something out." She paused looking at him harshly. "You were right." 

She sighed as her face softened and she rubbed her temple tiredly. "He consulted his boss more about the wedding than me. And that's when he could even be drug away from his work long enough. The final straw was when Palpatin asked us to withhold our engagement announcements until after Anakin's C3PO system was completed and a few months into production so as to not "overshadow or distract" from his progress. And he accepted it! As if we could retract the announcements, which had already all been sent out." 

"Padme I'm so sorry." Obi-Wan told her truthfully, gently taking her in his arms. 

Burying her face into his chest she sighed holding onto him tightly. "I was so stupid. I thought I'd found the perfect guy in California, when the guy perfect for me was right here in Naboo. Never more then four miles away."

Surprised he pulled back uncertain, his eyes searching her face. As seeing his confused look she smiled brightly as placed a firm but quick kiss on his lips. 

"I broke things off with Anakin. I realized that even if I was living my dream it'd be hallow without you there to share it with me." 

"Are you…? You're serious?" Obi-Wan choked, coming out of stunned silence after the kiss. 

Chuckling she nodded. "I've loved you since I was 14 Obi-Wan. I was just so afraid of loosing you if I said something, also you never seemed too interested in me like that. But I knew I couldn't spend my life married to one man, trying to convince myself I loved him when I was actually still in love with another." 

Obi-Wan stared at her for a long moment, floored by everything she had revealed and how drastically his life had changed in so little time. So he did the only thing that seemed to make any sense. He kissed her. This kiss was powerful and hungry as he kissed her like he'd been starved for her, which he was. It was lips and teeth with noses bumping almost painfully but to them it didn't matter. When they finally separated he smiled brighter then he had in years before vowing. 

"I love you Padme."

**Author's Note:**

> Based on "That Don't Sound Like You" by Lee Brice.  
> Read and Review please!


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